When staff members expect the announcement about a pay raise or bonus at the end of their appraisal, they can hardly focus on anything that is discussed, simply anticipating hearing the amount.

This is why it is a good idea to alert your staff prior to the meeting that no discussion about salary will be taking place, so as not to disappoint the person at the meeting.

This will provide an environment that allows both parties to pay all their undivided attention to the topic at hand.

Follow Up

What most leaders need to understand is that a performance review is not an annual, or even a biannual event; instead, it is an ongoing process that promotes open communication and partnership between a boss and an employee.

Don’t just rattle off a list of improvements that the member of staff needs to make, and then wait six months to a year to address those items; instead, check in every single week with your team member, letting them know that you are noticing their work, and provide constant feedback about their success or failure in terms of your expectations.

By utilising these three tips, you will improve the appraisal process for your own and your staff’s benefit.

Mark Williams

Mark Williams is a learning and development professional, using business psychology and multiple intelligences to create fascinating and quickly-identifiable learning initiatives in the real-world business setting. Mark’s role at MTD is to ensure that our training is leading edge, and works closely with our trainers to develop the best learning experiences for all people on learning programmes. Mark designs and delivers training programmes for businesses both small and large and strives to ensure that MTD’s clients are receiving the very best training, support and services that will really make a difference to their business.